The Particulars
Saint Peter's (1-2, 0-0 MAAC) vs. Providence (5-1, 0-0 BIG EAST)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 27 (12:00 p.m.)
Location: Dunkin' Donuts Center
Network: FS2
Tip-Off
- After picking up their first win of the season Tuesday at home against LIU, the Saint Peter's men's basketball team hits the road once against for the first time in 10 days as they travel to Providence, R.I., to take on Providence College.
- The Peacocks come into the matchup after taking down LIU 64-62 in their home opener Tuesday night.
- The Friars, meanwhile, are coming off their first loss of the season as they fell 58-40 against the University of Virginia Tuesday in the Legends Classic.
Looking back at LIU
- With the score 58-57 with less than 30 seconds left in the game, junior men's Doug Edert was able to rise up above a defender and knock down a huge 3-point bucket while getting fouled in the process and proceeded to hit the free throw to help the Peacocks grab a 64-62 win over LIU.
- It is the first win of the young season for the Peacocks as they improve to 1-2.
- Edert led all scorers in the game with 17 including a pair of big baskets down the stretch, the first of which was a driving layup with just over 2:00 to play to swell the lead back to three after the Sharks climbed back within one at 54-53.
- SPU also got double-digit efforts from both junior Daryl Banks III and fellow classmate Fousseyni Drame as they each tallied 10 points in the win.
The Series
- All-Time: Providence leads 4-1
- Streak: Providence (4)
- Last Saint Peter's win: 1/25/1949 (70-60 @ Providence)
- Last LIU win: 12/8/2018 (74-58 @ SPU)
Prepping for Providence
- The Friars come into the contest with a 5-1 overall record, picking up wins in each of their first five contests before Tuesday's loss at the hands of Virginia.
- Providence took down fellow MAAC member Fairfield 80-73 to open the season and has also posted victories over Wisconsin and Northwestern thus far this season.
- Graduate student Nate Watson leads the way for the Friars offensively averaging 16.8 points per game. The 2020-21 Second Team All-Big East selection is shooting 66.7 percent from the floor this year while also averaging 5.8 rebounds per contest.
- Fellow classmate Al Durham is also scoring in double figures as he produces 13.8 points per game this season. Durham is the lone Friar to score in double figures in all six matchups on the year.
- Graduate student Noah Horchler leads Providence on the boards with 8.3 rebounds per game while also contributing 9.7 points per contest.
Five Things to Know
- Saint Peter's, which recorded its second consecutive trip to the semifinal round of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship – and fourth in its last five years – is entering Year four of head coach Shaheen Holloway's tenure. It does so with lofty expectations after being picked to finish second in the 2021-22 MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll and buoyed by the entirety of its starting lineup from last year's 14-win team that finished third in the conference standings.
- Headlining the group of returners is rising senior forward KC Ndefo, who claimed the honor of 2021-22 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year, as well as a spot on the preseason all-league first team. Ndefo's junior campaign was nothing short of remarkable after he bulldozed his way into the record books after leading the nation in blocked shots and finishing eighth in the MAAC in steals.
- Junior guard Daryl Banks III – who was named to the Preseason All-MAAC Second Team – was the lone Peacock to start in all 25 games and average more than 30 minutes (30.6) last year while finishing second in scoring average (11.0 ppg), assists (2.3 apg) and steals (1.2 spg). Other key returners include junior forwards and twin brothers Fousseyni Drame and Hassan Drame, both of whom ranked among the top-15 in the conference in rebounding a season ago, and classmate Doug Edert who has been one of the league's elite 3-point shooters over his first two seasons in Jersey City.
- Edert has led all Peacock scorers this season with a pair of 17-point games to his ledger while Ndefo and Drame both average at least 7.0 points per game. Lee runs the offense as well, averaging 3.0 assists per game.
- Ndefo's shot blocking prowess has continued in the early part of his senior season as he leads the MAAC and ranks inside the top-50 in the country with 2.0 blocked shots per game.
Up Next
- The Peacocks will open conference play Friday, Dec. 3 when they travel to Hamden, Conn., to take on Quinnipiac University at 7:00 p.m.
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